Indeed CEO says the job market is stuck in a ‘vicious cycle’ if 1,000 qualified candidates can’t get hired: ‘Something’s wrong’

If trying to land a job or switch roles in 2026 has felt like sending resumes into the void, the frustration isn’t yours alone.

Even Hisayuki Idekoba , CEO of Indeed, one of the world’s largest job-search platforms, has admitted that the hiring process has become a “vicious cycle.” Job openings have slowed down while the number of applicants competing for each position has climbed, leaving many qualified workers applying to dozens—or even hundreds—of jobs without hearing back .

Employers, meanwhile, are facing their own challenges.

Applicant pools are flooded with AI-generated applications , while scams involving fake candidates—including North Korean IT workers —have made it harder for companies to identify legitimate applicants.

“You got 1,000 applications, and you think all 1,000 people are not qualified?” Idekoba said to Business Insider .

“Something’s wrong.” Fortune reached out to Indeed for further comment.

AI is making the hiring process ‘worse,’ CEO says Indeed’s CEO is not alone in expressing frustration with today’s job market and application process.

Daniel Chait , CEO of hiring software firm Greenhouse, has similarly pointed to frustrations on both sides of the hiring process.

“This is the first time when really both sides have been unhappy,” Chait previously told Fortune .

“The market just isn’t working for either side.” He also confirmed that the perceived “black hole” of job applications is real—and the data backs him up .

The number of applications per job is up 111% between 2022 and 2025, while the number of recruiters has fallen 56%, creating a perfect form for both job seekers and employers.

Some recruiters, including Indeed, have turned to AI tools to help manage the growing workload and better match candidates with jobs.

“How can we make sure job seekers are a real person, and it’s not an AI application, and they’re serious, and they’re qualified,” Indeed’s Idekoba added.

“And how can we have real employers who are really trying to fill positions?” But applicants are using AI, too, to tailor resumes, write cover letters and improve their chances of getting noticed—creating another layer of complexity in an already strained process.